Self-adjusting pipe wrench



Sept. 9., 1958 F. E. ISRAEL SELF-ADJUSTING RIPE WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2?, 1956 a mm ATTORNEYS IQNI Sept. 9, 1958 F. E. ISRAEL SELF-ADJUSTING PIPE WRENCH 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1956 l/VVE/V r01? FLOYD E. ISRAEL ATTORNEYS United States Patent SELF-ADJUSTING PIPE WRENCH Floyd E. lisrael, Hutchinson, Kans.

Application August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,245

9 Claims. (Cl. 81103) the shank and the cam to control both the cam and the second; or movable jaw.

One object of the invention is to provide automatic settingof not only the jaws but of the locking elements in a wrench of this type. 7

Another object is to provide simplified presetting of locking elements and jaws, the locking elements being released, the jaws being opened and the locking elements being 'positioned by a single motion.

Another object is to provide a wrench which is not only completely operable by one hand but which has a wide range of jaw opening with minimum bulk in the wrench, due to the use of a combination of a cam and a-wedge with the associated parts.

Another object is to provide a wrench in which there is a minimum of lost motion since torque is applied to the work instantaneously upon movement of the-handle, and in which no movement of the handle or auxiliary levers is necessary to lock the movable jaw.

Another object is to have the locking cam simply oppose the opening force so that no extraforce is added tothenormal torque of the wrench, and crushing action on the work is minimized.

Anotherobject is to so improve wrenches of this character that the device not only saves time and effort where the work is accessible and visible but even more so where the work is in cramped quarters and invisible.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved wrench, the jaws being shown in their closed position;

.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the jaws in one opened position; and

.Fig. 3 is a top edge view of Fig. 2.

.Referringmore in detail to the drawings the numeral 10 denotes a suitable handle on one end of which is integrally formed or suitably affixed an inner jaw 12. .Anopposed outer or movable jaw 13 carries a straight elongated shank or arm 14 which is slidable in the direction of.the length of the handle in a saddle or carrier 15. The saddle 15 is substantially U-shapedin transverse section to straddle the shank and that portion of the handle adjacent the fixed jaw. A bottom 16 of Patented Sept. 9, .1958

a recess .in the saddle formed by its two parallel side plates 17 is flat and straight, and slidably engaging it is a straight outeredge .18 of the shank. The opposite or inner edge 19 of the shank isformed between the ends the straight end 21 of ;the shank and thrusts at one end against the rearof the saddleand at its other end against a washer 23 held on the shank in spaced relation to its rear extremity by one or more transverse pins 24. The action of the spring is to automatically move the jaw 13 rearwardly and close vit on the work between the two jaws. As .is common in wrenches of thistype one or both side faces of the shank maybe formed with a guide channel 25 parallel with the edge 18 to slidably receive a rib (not shown) carried by one or both of the side plates 17 of the saddle .to effectively guide the shank in its sliding movement.

The front .end portion of the handle has flat side faces .and fits between the side-plates '17 of the saddle, to which latter it is pivoted by a transverse pivot pin 26. That portion of the handle is also laterally offset as seen at 27 in Fig. 2,-to provide space between the plates 17 for acam 28 which coacts with the inclined edge or wedge v 20. The cam .is a plate mounted to pivot on a pin 29 of relatively large diameter and suitably mounted in the saddle plates 17.v Thecam is preferably spring actuated in a direction tomove-the high portion of its spiral edge 30.,toward the shank edge 19 and its inclined or wedge portion .20 :to frictionally lock-the shank 14 against forward movement. While various spring meansmay be used *for moving the earn, 1 preferably mount on the pin 29 a coil spring 31 one end of which is fixed at 32 to the saddle plates .17 and the other end of which is fixed at 33 to the cam ;28. If onlyone spring is employed it .stantially straight, inner edge portions 35 of the saddle plates 17 to limit the relative swinging movement of the saddle and. handle.

Both the shank 'of the movable jaw and the cam are to be manually movedagainst the action of their springs. The cam may be manually moved without reference to the shank 14 by a manually actuated release lever 36 mounted on the handle but 1 preferably provide a manually actuated lever.37on the shank 14 to coact with the lever 36 so that both the shank and the cam may be simultaneously moved when the lever 37 is actuated. The cam-release lever '36 may be a channel-shaped plate which-straddles one edge of the handle it as will be understood on reference vto Fig. 2. j The forward ends 38 of the two side plates of the lever 36 maybe disposed in recesses 39 formed in the side faces of the cam plate28-and mounted on a transverse pivot pin 40 therein. The spaced rear ends 4-1 of the side plates of that lever are mounted for limited sliding and pivotal movernent on the handgripportion of vthe handle by providing them with longitudinal slots 42 to receive'the ends of a transverse pivot pin43 in the handle. It will be seen that whenthelever 36 is pressed toward the handle the cam will beswungagainst the tension of a spring, which may actuate the lever 36 .and hence the cam, or by the illustrated cam spring 31.

The lever 37 is preferably of triangular shape in outline and may be formed from a suitably shaped metal plate bent to provide two side plates 44 and a connecting portion 45. This lever is thus substantially U-shaped in cross section. One arm of the lever is pivoted at 46 on a transverse pivot pin in the end 21 of the shank 14, and another arm carries a roller 47 to engage and actuate the lever 36, the third arm forming a finger piece or hand grip. The side plates 44 straddle the end 21 and the roller 47 is mounted between them on a transverse pin 48. To hold the roller in contact with the lever 36, a coil spring 49 is disposed in the hollow portion of the lever 37 and has one end attached to a pin 50 in the shank end 21 below the pivot 46 and its other end attached to a transverse pin 51 in the plates 44. The spring 49 is weaker than the spring 31.

The wrench is completely operative by one hand, and its manipulation is simple and quick. A squeezing and forward-thrusting action on the handle and the release lever 37 causcsthe roller 47 to move the lever 36 and disengage the cam 28 from the wedge 20, and then the shank is moved against the tension of the spring 22 to open the jaws. When the latter are then placed astride a pipe, nut or other work and the pressure is released, the spring 22 causes jaws to grip the work and the spring 31 causes the cam to lock the shank and prevent any movement of the jaw 13 away from the fixed jaw. Thus, there is automatic setting of both the jaws and the locking elements. corresponding position of the cam to maintain their contact. The cam and wedge are so proportioned that all the force transmitted from the shank of the movable jaw through the wedge to the cam is transmitted to the large pin 29 of the cam. Hence the cam does not back out and release the wedge. The combination of a wedge, which is a part of the shank of the movable jaw, with a contacting holding cam for the purpose of locking the movable jaw against any opening force resulting from turning of the work, provides a very simple, strong and compact wrench, and gives a wide range of jaw opening with minimum bulk. It also permits an infinitely fine adjustment since various portions of the spiral edge of the cam may engage various portions of the smooth inclined edge 20 of the shank. The locking cam simply opposes the opening force, and crushing action on the work is minimized. No extra force is added to the normal torque of the wrench. Torque is applied instantaneously upon movement of the wrench handle and there is a minimum of lost motion. No movement of the handle or of an auxiliary lever is necessary to lock the movable jaw. It will also be noted that the presetting lever system disengages the cam, positions the cam and movable jaw and compresses springs preparatory for the automatic adjustment cycle. The initial action of the lever 37 has a comparatively high mechanical advantage with regard to rotating the cam. This reduces the effort of disengaging the cam from the wedge. On the other hand, the mechanical advantage of the roller 47 traveling along the inclined lever 36 is small and so finishes the positioning of the cam with no further swinging movement of the lever 37.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a wrench having a handle carrying a fixed jaw, a coacting movable jaw carrying a shank, a saddle pivotally connected to the handle adjacent the fixed jaw, said shank being slidable through the saddle and having an inclined portion forming a wedge, a locking cam rotatably mounted in the saddle and coacting with said wedge For any position of the wedge 20 there is a portion of the shank, spring means associated with the shank and tending to actuate the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw, and spring-actuated lever means associated With said shank, said cam and said handle, and including a finger piece pivotally connected to said shank, whereby a squeezing and forward-thrusting action on the handle and finger piece will first release the cam from locking engagement with the wedge portion and then slide the shank against the tension of its actuating spring means to move the movatble jaw away from the fixed jaw.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said lever means also includes a lever which is actuated by said finger piece and which extends along the handle and is mounted for movement toward and from the same, one end of said lever being pivotally connected to said cam.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said springactuated lever means includes a relatively strong spring which actuates said cam and said lever and a second relatively weak spring connetcted between said finger piece and said shank to maintain said finger piece in engagement with said lever.

4. In a wrench having a handle carrying a fixed jaw, a coacting movable jaw carrying a straight shank, a saddle pivotally connected to the handle adjacent the fixed jaw, said shank extending through the saddle for straightline sliding movement and having its inner edge inclined to provide a wedge, a coiled compression spring mounted on the projecting rear end of the shank and reacting against the rear of the saddle to normally actuate the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw, a transverse pin in the saddle opposite said wedge, a rotary cam mounted on said pin to coact with the wedge and lock the movable jaw against opening movement, a coil spring on said pin and having one end fixed to to said cam and the other end anchored to the saddle to normally hold the cam in engagement with the wedge, a cam-actuating lever extending along the handle and having its rear end slidably and pivotally connected to it, and its front end pivotally connected to the cam, a had-actuated lever pivoted to the rear of the shank and having one arm carrying a roller to engage an intermediate portion of said firstmentioned lever and actuate the same to release the cam from the wedge, said hand-actuated lever also having an arm extending rearwardly opposite a portion of the handle to serve as a finger piece, and a coil spring connected between said shank and said hand-actuated lever to maintain the roller in contact with said first-mentioned lever.

5. In a wrench having a handle carrying a fixed jaw and a pivoted saddle, and a coacting movable jaw carrying an elongated shank which is longitudinally slidable in the saddle, the combination of a wedge which is a part of the shank of the movable jaw and which includes a smooth longitudinal edge of the shank disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shank, and a wedge contacting rotary cam of spiral form disposed in the saddle and adapted to engage said smooth edge to lock the movable jaw against opening force, said cam being carried by a pin in the saddle.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which said pin is relatively large, together with spring means to actuate the cam and normally maintain its contact with the wedge, the cam and wedge being so constructed and arranged that all force transmitted from the shank of the movable jaw through the wedge to the cam is transmitted to the pin of the cam.

7. The structure of claim 6 together with manually moved, spring-actuated lever means to disengage the cam from the wedge, to position the cam and the movable jaw and to compress springs preparatory for the automatic adjustment of the jaws and cam when the manually moved lever means is released.

8. In a wrench having a handle carrying a fixed .jaw, a coacting movable jaw carrying a straight shank, a saddle pivotally connected to the handle adjacent the fixed jaw,

aeeaaao said shank extending through the saddle for straight-line sliding movement and having its inner edge inclined to provide a wedge, spring means associated with said shank to normally actuate the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw, a relatively large transverse pin in the saddle opposite said wedge, a spiral cam rotatable on said pin to coact with the wedge and lock the movable jaw against opening movement, spring means tending to rotate the cam to normally hold it in engagement with the wedge, and spring-actuated lever means associated with said shank, said cam and said handle, and including a movable finger piece connected to said shank, whereby a squeezing and forward-thrusting action on the handle and finger piece will first release the cam from locking engagement with the wedge, and then slide the shank against the tension of its actuating spring means to move the movable jaw away from the fixed jaw.

9. In a wrench having a handle carrying a fixed jaw, a coacting movable jaw carrying a straight shank, a saddle pivotally connected to the handle adjacent the fixed jaw, .said shank extending through the saddle for straight-line sliding movement and having its inner edge inclined to provide a wedge, spring means associated with said shank to normally actuate the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw, a relatively large transverse pin in the saddle opposite said wedge, a spiral cam rotatable on said pin to coact with the wedge and lock the movable jaw against opening movement, spring means tending to rotate the cam to normally hold it in engagement with the wedge, lever means carried by the handle and operatively connected to the cam to move it against the tension of its spring means, a movable finger piece carried by said shank and having a part to engage and move said lever means, and spring means for actuating said finger piece to hold it in engagement with said lever means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 646,565 Wright Apr. 3, 1900 654,769 Tilton July 31, 1900 1,386,596 Carpenter Aug. 9, 1921 

